Bengaluru: For years the drivers and naturalists at the state-owned Jungle Lodges and Resorts have flaunted a number of rules. This disturbed wildlife like tigers and elephants.
It was a common sight in Kabini to see vehicle drivers, after sighting a tiger, make calls to other drivers. But last week one of their misdemeanors was recorded on video and the Forest Department has taken the matter seriously.
A wildlife photographer from Bengaluru, who was in Kabini last week, witnessed an unusual sight. “On Monday morning we were on the B zone and went towards the Old M M road when we heard from the safari vehicle that they had just spotted a tiger going into the bush.
While waiting for the predator to come out on the main road, we had another safari vehicle joining us, after a while the safari vehicle just drove into the forest, went off the track and disappeared into the bushes where the tiger had gone in.
Then it came out, stating it was not there. This was absolutely unexpected and forbidden,” recalled the photographer who has shared the video with the forest authorities.
He added that the naturalists and drivers are of the notion that without showing a tiger or a leopard, the safari is not complete. They are behaving as if there are no forest rules.
He recalls, “Last week, there was a very rare sighting of the black panther, after which it was like the whole JLR Kabini team was alert and had to sight the black panther,” he added.
That was not all. After this incident, in the evening safari on the Old MM road, a tiger was sighted. “People were shocked to see all the safari vehicles rushing towards the cat.
One of them braked very close to the creature and the agitated animal just sprang back into the bushes, after a while the tigress again came out onto the road and our safari vehicle went too close. All that noise by the passengers in the jeep drove the tiger back in again. This happened three times in 10 minutes,” he added.
The forest department has already issued a memo to the JLR vehicles involved in these acts. Mr R Gokul, Director of Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, said that a notice has been sent to the JLR property in Kabini and a reply is awaited.
However, the wildlife conservationists are demanding strict action against those naturalists and drivers who are harassing animals in the name of sightings and making some quick money.
“Some of the drivers and naturalists in Bandipur and Nagarhole accept money from the tourists on the pretext of showing them a tiger.
This is creating an artificial population of leopards and some tigers in Kabini and other vehicle frequented areas. Sighting a tiger or any animal is a matter of luck, the naturalist must know about it,” said a wildlife conservationist.
